'Blink back to let me know.'
"I didn't expect you to be back so soon.", Pacifica says as she pours a cup of jasmine tea into the porcelain cup.
"You're saying that as if I visited last last week. It's only been a couple of months.", Dipper lets out an awkward chuckle before sipping on the tea. He places the cup back on its plate and holds onto it, his hands being heated by the warmth of the drink.
"Time really does fly by quickly Dipper..", she answers with a sigh. "It really does feel like only yesterday when you last came."
"Yeah.. It did feel like yesterday..", he repeats, he gave a small smile and tired worn-out eyes.
Pacifica Northwest was what Dipper considered a friend, she was someone he would visit quite often whenever he returned to Gravity Falls. She was somebody and one of the only people he trusted, asides from Wendy but she wasn't in town anymore.
Wendy left Gravity Falls three years ago and moved to another state for some business. Due to her departure, the two haven't been able to continue their 'swapping hats' tradition which saddens the brunette. Of course they keep in contact and text every once in a while but things have changed as the texting has become less frequent. Maybe an occasional 'hey' every five months.
After the Northwest family went bankrupt, they decided to start small and tried to build up to their legacy once more. It took some rebuilding and actual effort into their work but in the end, it was all worth it. The Northwests aren't the richest anymore but they are in the high economic class. Pacifica's parents also reformed and aren't hungry for money anymore, they now genuinely care and pay attention to their daughter.
Dipper had to admit, he was proud of Pacifica for her transformation and learning from her past. She even aged better than Mabel and that meant a lot, her beauty was now natural and Mabel was just plastic-straw fake. All that plastic could kill the turtles and the vsco girls wouldn't like that.
She pours herself a cup of tea and puts down the chinatown teapot before taking a seat in front of the brunette. Pacifica notices his grip on the cup and it looked aggressively tight that the cup would explode, splashing tea all over the countertop cover. You wouldn't be able to sense any kind of emotion from Dipper's blank poker face but his eyes gave an entire story.
"Hey.. You seem out of it, do you wanna - uh - talk about it?", the platinum blonde offers with a friendly smile.
Dipper glaces up from his glass, meeting with her gaze before looking back down to his reflection in the tea. "Thank you Pacifica, that would be.. great.", he replies with a weak grin.
"Anytime, we're friends after all.", she reminds the brunette as she gives her signature smile.
"But you have to promise me to not tell a soul. Whatever happens in this room stays in this room and between us.", Dipper says.
"You sound like every teenage girl who's talking about their secret crush but promise me Pines, you got my word."
"Maybe it is about my 'secret crush'..", Dipper mumbles. Pacifica stares blankly at him for a few seconds, barely blinking before quietly squealing.
"Oh my god, no way! You finally found the boy?! Like, the one?!", the platinum-blonde bursts, she was out of her chair and her arms were on the tabletop. The brunette blushes as he hesitantly nods. "Dipper, you need to spill. Like, right now. I don't care who this mysterious stranger is but I will forever support you and this guy."
"Thanks a lot, I really needed to hear that from someone.", he answers with a sad smile. Pacifica was able to tell that something else was wrong.
"Hey, you still look bothered. You wanna tell me about that too?", she offers as she sits back into her seat. "Only if you're comfortable with talking about it."
"Well - uh - a whole lot of shit happened today.. Mabel tried to choke me and pretends that nothing ever happened. My 'crush' tries to kill her in her dream and I got in trouble and nearly summoned my crush to kill my grunkle..", Dipper says, explaining it to the best of his ability.
"In Mabel's dream?", Pacifica repeats and the brunette nods for confirmation. "So, you fell for this guy that appears in only your dreams? I don't know Dipper, this sounds sketchy."
"And it's only been a day or two since he came back.. I find it fascinating, he gave me a journal in my dream and I woke up with it in my hands!", Dipper exclaims as he pulls out the journal with the pine tree symbol on it. Pacifica examines it carefully and gives a smile.
"It's a very nice journal.", she compliments, her arm extends out to the book as her hand rests on top of the object. "May I?"
Dipper nods and watches his friend flip through the many thick sheets.
"This is in really good condition! How the hell..?", the blonde's voice trails off, her eyes glance back up and returns the journal. "Sorry but the quality of those pages are like the world's weight in gold! It's expensive and classy, you better keep that safe and hidden."
"Don't worry Pacifica, I intend on doing that.", Dipper answers with a laugh. He glances over to the clock that was ticking, it was half-past one and he didn't want to bother Pacifica's parents. "I think I should head out now, I don't want to stay for too long. I'm kind of worried of what the consequences may be if I don't return."
Pacifica nods. "Don't worry, I understand Dipper. Just visit whenever you can, you're always welcome here.", she says with a warm smile. Dipper stands up from his seat and tucks the chair back in, he picks up his bags as Pacifica walks him to the door.
"Goodbye Pacifica, please tell your parents I said thanks."
"I will, and good luck with your demon love life.", she teases as the brunette gives a confused and shocked look. She lets out a small laugh. "Your secret is safe with me Dipper, I won't tell a soul. Also, don't make any deals with him."
Dipper nods as he waves Pacifica goodbye as he walks out the door. The blonde's smile fades as she watches the brunette's silhouette disappear into the depths of the woods. She gently closes the door and walks to the table as she takes a seat.
'I want nothing but the best for him. So Bill, please don't pull any of your crap..', she thinks to herself before letting out a sigh.
Dipper Pines was taking another stroll in the woods, he was taking the same uninteresting dull path that intersected between the Mystery Shack and Pacifica's cottage. There were many twists, turns and curves but he had all of them memorized and knew where each path led.
The brunette used to feel as if he were Alice in Wonderland, always being curious about where each little thing came from and where each path led. Curious of everything and how the strange and wacky world came to be.
So maybe nothing of Gravity Falls have changed over the years but as if Dipper would have noticed, he came back every year and did literally the same things.
Sleep. Explore. Talk. Eat. Repeat.
It was the same thing every single day and to be honest, it got boring. Gravity Falls isn't supposed to be boring, it's supposed to be mysterious and full of wonder.
As the years flew by, everyone grew and got older, became mature and all that jazz. Nothing was the same anymore.
Dipper exhales as he pulls out the golden journal from his bag. He flips through the pages and feels the sheets, they were unmistakably soft as Pacifica mentioned before.
His eyes nearly glance past a trail that he's never seen before. Dipper stops in his tracks as he realizes that his journal was flashing a gold colour. He holds the book out in that direction and walks in the direction, the object continues to flash and glow the yellow aura.
The book flies out of his hands and Dipper knew that this wasn't a dream. He chases after the journal down the unknown and unfamiliar path.
Down the path of brambles and bushes led to an open green space filled with natural wildlife that sang their morning/afternoon songs. There was even a glistening dome set in the middle of the field. The entire scenery gave off such an aesthetically pleasing and calm vibe that he practically fell in love with it.
Dipper hadn't seen any other place like this before, it must've been new. But in a way, it seemed way too magical to even exist.
He shakes his head and runs into the dome-shaped building, hoping he would be able to get his treasured item back. He steps into the dome and butterflies greet the brunette, circling him and flying outwards which brought a smile onto his face.
Dipper's laughter fills the room and the figure sitting in a chair allows a smile to spread across his face. The book lands in the male's hands and Dipper turns around after watching the butterflies fly away.
"Hey Pinetree, fancy seeing you here."
The brunette's eyes meets the male's eyes and his smile instantly vanishes. His eyes widen and he runs up to Bill.
"I didn't think I could last another hour without you.", Dipper confesses as he tackles the demon in the seat. Bill smiles and strokes the brunette's back.
"Getting all sappy now, huh Pinetree? Don't worry, I feel the same.", Bill answers. He holds his hand out as the dome glass doors swing shut, the 'tHumP' echoes in the room as magic swirls around the two. "Let's have some fun while I'm here, alright?"
